RFK Campaign Official Says Her 'Number One Priority' Is Defeating Biden

Rita Palma, who has identified herself as the Kennedy campaign’s New York State campaign director, is telling Empire State Republicans that voting for RFK will help "get rid of Biden" which she refers to as her "number one priority."

“The only way that Trump can even, remote possibility of taking New York is if Bobby is on the ballot. If it’s Trump vs. Biden, Biden wins. Biden wins six days, seven days a week. With Bobby in the mix, anything can happen,” Palma said in a video of the meeting with Republicans in New York viewed by CNN.

“The only way for him, for Bobby, to shake it up and to get rid of Biden is if he’s on the ballot in every state, including New York,” she continued.

At this point, the only hope for Kennedy to win the election is if neither Trump nor Biden receives 270 electoral votes, in which case the election would be thrown to the House of Representatives. Trump winning New York would be a key part of that plan.

Palma is correct. It's a "remote possibility." But the way this race is shaping up, absolutely anything can and probably will happen.

“The Kennedy voter and the Trump voter, our mutual enemy is Biden,” said Palma during a presentation to a Hudson Valley Republican group. “I’m going to vote for Bobby, however, if I wake up on Nov. 6 and Trump wins, I’m not going to be overly upset,” she continued in a video of the presentation seen by Politico. “But if Biden wins, we’re all going to be terribly upset.”

Ms. Palma is not the state campaign director for RFK. She's a minor part of the campaign in New York, and Kennedy campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear said that Palma's remarks do not reflect the views of the campaign.

At least, not publicly.

“Rita Palma is a ballot access consultant responsible for scheduling volunteer shifts for our upcoming signature collection drive in the Empire State. She is not involved in electoral strategy, nationally or in New York,” Spear said. “This was not a campaign event. Palma was speaking as a private citizen and her statements in no way reflect the strategy of the Kennedy campaign, which is to win the White House with votes from former Trump and Biden supporters alike.”

"If the Republicans face, well, I guess accepted the fact that New York, Maryland, Illinois, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, most of the northeast is going to go blue, why wouldn’t we put our vote to Bobby and at least get rid of Biden and get those 28 electoral votes in New York … give those 28 electoral votes to Bobby rather than to Biden, thereby reducing Biden’s 270,” Palma said.

Throwing the race into the House in 2024 would elect Trump. Members would vote according to the congressional makeup of their states at the time of the election. Trump would still win.

“Who are they going to pick? If it’s a Republican Congress, they’ll pick Trump. So we’re rid of Biden either way,” she added.

Such a "contingent election" for president hasn't been seen since 1824. Then, it was John Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay vying for the presidency. With no victor on election day, the contest went to the House where John Q. Adams made a "corrupt bargain" with Clay to name him secretary of state and throw his support to Adams.

Stranger things have happened in politics. However, I wouldn't bet the house on this scenario.